Here are the results from a simple video walking through Meredith Hall at Drake University. You can see the huge difference the iPhone gimbal makes in terms of steadiness – as well as simply keeping the video level.

First reaction to the iPhone gimbal from Lanparte

I’ve only had the unit for a day, but so far it is easy to set up and the battery life seems great. It comes with a rechargeable battery, a clamp for a GoPro, and two different sizes of clamps for smartphones. My only nitpicks with it so far is that the on-off switch is hard to access on the bottom of the unit. Other models put it in a more convenient location.

It’s also not quite as easy to set up as the online video suggests. I had to hold my phone steady while turning on the unit. In their demo video (bottom one at that link), they were able to stabilize the phone with the unit turned off. That said, it is still extremely easy to use.

I decided to look into iPhone gimbals when a former student showed up a couple weeks ago with a DJI Osmo. The Osmo is a very cool tool that shoots stable 4K video, and I immediately wanted one (still do). But I thought I’d try to find something a bit cheaper than the $650 Osmo.

It turns out there are several different models of iPhone gimbals available today. In addition to the Lanparte model I tested, there are models from Kedsum ($180), Feiyutech ($267), ikan ($349), Neewer ($220) and others. They all look very similar, so I assume they all work about the same. But check the online reviews to be safe.